Neuville: “Evans was the fastest in Corsica”

Thierry Neuville a réalisé une excellente opération ce week-end au Tour de Corse. Le Belge a offert sa première victoire de la saison à Hyundai qui ne s’était plus imposé depuis la Sardaigne et s’est emparé des commandes du championnat pour 2 points d’avance sur Sébastien Ogier (Citroën) and 5 on Ott Tänak (Toyota).

S’il était en lice pour la victoire au matin de la dernière étape, Thierry Neuville avait pourtant été distancé par Elfyn Evans (M-Sport) après une très belle performance dans les Eaux de Zilia (ES13) où il avait devancé le Belge de 16 secondes. C’était sans compter sur une crevaison dans la Power Stage de Calvi qui allait offrir la victoire au vice-champion sur un plateau.

" What rally incredible and what a fantastic result!, exclaimed the man who celebrated his 10th victory in WRC. I would like to have a word for Elfyn and Scott (Martin). I'm really sorry for them. It was an incredible fight and he was clearly the fastest this weekend. We didn't know what happened until we saw our mechanics at the finish. »

With two scratches under his belt this weekend, Thierry Neuville concluded the Tour de Corse by winning 2 bonus points from the Power Stage and winning with a lead of 40 seconds over Sébastien Ogier (Citroën).

“I pushed hard in the Power Stage and the points we score this weekend are very important for the championship, said the Belgian. This is recognition for the hard work done by Hyundai Motorsport. We may not have been the fastest, but we made significant progress on the asphalt and this victory rewards our efforts. We made the difference on Saturday in the second pass by placing ourselves as contenders for victory and that's what made this result possible. It's never over until you reach the finish! »

Hyundai also took the lead in the Manufacturers' championship with Dani Sordo's 4th place and Sébastien's 8th position. Loeb.

Discover the analysis of the Tour de Corse carried out by our special correspondent in issue 2210 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.